Tethered pins bowling game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A flat alley has vertical guides by a pin-receiving area. A platform is mounted atop the guides, and a reset plate has followers which guide movement of the plate up and down along the inward facing channel guides. Springs urge the reset plate upward toward the platform. An array of opposite polarity magnets in the pin area of the alley cooperate with pins having opposite polarity magnets alternated in a complementary array. Springs connected to the platform and strings connected between the springs and pins pull the pins upward against the reset plate when they are struck by a ball. The alternating polarity of the magnets insures against sliding a pin into holding relationship with an incorrect magnet. A ball continues to roll into a concave receiver and drops through a central opening into a sloped chute to roll back to the ball releasing end of the alley. Pins are reset by pulling downward on strings attached to the reset plate and passing through the channels.

Uite States Patent [191 Redling 1 1 TETI-IERED PINS BOWLING GAME APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Anthony E. Redling, 1727 Kalakaua' Ave., Apt. A-4, Honolulu, Hawaii [22] Filed: Sept. 8, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 287,522

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 168.473 4/1934 Switzerland 273/44 1 Mar. 11, 1975 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Attorney, Agent, or Firm.lames C. Wray [57] ABSTRACT A flat alley has vertical guides by a pin-receiving area. A platform is mounted atop the guides, and a reset plate has followers which guide movement of the plate up and down along the inward facing channel guides. Springs urge the reset plate upward toward the platform. An array of opposite polarity magnets in the pin area of the alley cooperate with pins having opposite polarity magnets alternated in a complementary array. Springs connected to the platform and strings connected between the springs and pins pull the pins upward against the reset plate when they are struck by a ball. The alternating polarity of the magnets insures against sliding a pin into holding relationship with an incorrect magnet. A ball continues to roll into a concave receiver and drops through a central opening into a sloped chute to roll back to the ball releasing end of the alley. Pins are reset by pulling downward on strings attached to the reset plate and passing through the channels.

10 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures F-i-JENTED H975 Y 3.870.302

SHEET 1 [IF 5 "FIG.

PATENTEUNAR I 1 m sum u nr 5 1 TETIIERED PINS BOWLING GAME APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Bowling game apparatus have been known in which a ball is rolled along an alley toward pins positioned on an alley to knock down the pins. In some cases, the pins are attached to upward pulling elastic or weighted strings, and the pins are held down by magnets in the pins which attract a metalic plate in the pin-receiving area of the alley. As the pins are struck the magnetic attraction is disturbed, and individual pins are pulled upward by their leads. Complicated mechanisms are employed to reset the pins in the proper locations and to retrieve and return the toy bowling ball.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an inexpensive bowling game apparatus which provides increased realism and improved operating characteristics.

In the present invention a bowling game apparatus has frame members which support a substantially flat alley with a ball casting means at a proximal end and a pin receiving area at a distal end. Bowling pins are positioned on the pin-receiving area of the alley and are held in position by magnetic means in the pins and in the alley.

In a preferred embodiment individual magnets are mounted in the alley at the appropriate locations of the pins, and complementary magnets are mounted in the pins. In the preferred arrangement the polarity of magnets in the alley is alternated, and the polarity of magnets in the pins is alternated in an opposite manner so that there is a definite attraction of the pins for their appropriate spots on the alley, while there is repulsion of the pins from adjacent spots at which they do not belong.

The pins are pulled upward by spring means which are preferably small short tension springs mounted on a lower side of a platform above the alley and strings which extend from lower ends of the springs downward through holes in a moveable reset plate to points at the upper ends of the bowling pins where the strings are secured. As pins are struck by a bowling ball and are displaced from associated magnets in the alley, the springs pull the pins upward toward the reset plate.

The reset plate is a generally rectangular plate having laterally extending lugs or followers which are guided along upstanding guides which are attached to the opposite sides of the alley. In a preferred embodiment the guides are inward facing channels, and the followers are lugs which are fitted within the channels.

The reset plate has ten small holes arranged in triangular array with downward opening recesses centered about the holes for receiving and holding heads of the pins. The reset plate is held upward by springs and is pulled downward by strings which may be attached to the lugs and which may extend through holes in the alley to a point beneath the alley. Pulleys permit the strings to be pulled toward the proximal end of the alley while putting the reset plate downward.

In the preferred embodiment the alley is laterally bounded by gutters which slightly slope downward toward the distal end. A downward dished ball retriever at the distal end of the alley has a central opening for dropping a ball on the upper distal end of a chute. The chute is sloped so that the ball rolls down to the proximal end which extends outward from beneath the proximal end of the alley.

One object of the invention is the provision of a bowling game apparatus with an alley, pins on a pinreceiving area of an alley, a reset plate with holes above the pins, spring means extending through the reset plate, upward extending guides attached to the alley and followers laterally extending from the reset plate and engaging the guides. Another object ofthe invention is the provision ofa bowling game apparatus which is simply constructed as above with channel shaped guides supporting a spring-mounting platform and followers on the reset plate moving within the channel.

Another object of the invention is the provision of spring means for a bowling game apparatus as described above in which the spring means uses short tension springs connected beneath a platform and inelastic strings extending through holes in the reset plate and connected to the pins.

The invention has as another objectthe provision of pin-holding magnets on a bowling game apparatus alley in which the magnets are spaced from each other and are arranged in alternate polarity and wherein bowling pins placed on the magnets have complementary magnets of alternating polarity whereby a bowling pin which is displaced from its appropriate magnet will be repelled adjacent magnets.

Another object of the invention is a provision of bowling game apparatus which has a dished ball retriever at a distal end of an alley with a central opening in the dished retriever to drop a bowling ball onto an upper distal end of a sloped chute which rolls the ball to beneath the proximal end of the alley.

The invention has as another object the provision of an effective and inexpensive reset operation in which the operator pulls a slide beneath the proximal end of an alley which in turn pulls first and second strings which extend upward through holes at sides of the alley and which are connected to lateral extremities of the reset plate for pulling the reset plate downward toward the alley.

These and other objects and features of the invention are apparent in the disclosure which is the foregoing and'ongoing specification including the claims and the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bowling game apparatus constructed according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded detail of the bowling game apparatus as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a detail of a bowling pin which is used in the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a bowling pin used with the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a detail of an arrangement of magnets in an alley of the bowling game apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a detail of pin holding, lifting and resetting apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a detail of the reset plate used with the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a detail of a ball releasing chute used with the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a detail of an alternate form of ball release.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation showing the reset plate operator and ball returning chute in relation to the alley.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Referring to FIG. 1 a bowling game apparatus is generally indicated by the numeral 1. Frame members 2 support an alley 4 which is generally horizontal. The alley has a proximal end 6 at which bowling balls are released and a pin-receiving area 8 near a distal end of the alley. A housing 10 which is optional may conceal the pin lifting and resetting mechanism. A ball release base 12 which is a block fixed at proximal end 6 with a hole 14 in the block for receiving a ball releasing device may be employed. The block 12 may be permanently fixed to the alley. Preferably means are such as a spring clip 16 which extends over the proximal end of the alley and beneath the alley is provided so that the ball releasing block 12 may be moved to different locations along the end of the alley.

With reference to FIG. 2 it may be seen that alley 4 may be formed of a flat slab of wood or plastic with integrally formed gutters 18 near lateral edge of the alley. Miniature magnets 20 are vertically positioned flush with the pin-receiving area 8 of the alley. Bowling pins 22 having complementary miniature magnets 24 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are positioned on appropriate magnets 20.

As shown in FIG. 5 magnets 20 and complementary magnets 24 in the pins are arranged in an array ofmagnets having alternate polarity. For example the magnet 26 which is associated with the head pin may have a positive pole at its upper face while the next adjacent magnets 28 which are associated with the second and third pins have negative polarities at their upper faces. The complementary magnet which is mounted in the head pin has a negative pole at its lower face which cooperates with magnet 26 in holding the head pin a fixed position on the alley. As the head pin is knocked rearward and to the side, the negative poles which its magnet encounters in magnets 28 tend to repell the head pin ensuring against sliding and repositioning on an incorrect magnet.

As shown in FIG. 2 and with other reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, two vertical guides 30 which comprise channels are mounted at opposite sides of alley 4 near pinreceiving area 8. As shown in FIG. 6 a platform 32 is mounted at the upper ends of channels 30 parallel to alley 4. A plurality of springs 34 are mounted on a lower side of the platform 32.

Strings 36 are attached to lower ends springs 34 and extend downward through holes in a reset plate to the upper ends of pins 22 to which they are attached by brads 38 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Magnets 20 and 24 cooperate in holding pins 22 downward against tension of springs 34. When pins 22 are knocked away from magnets 20, springs 34 pull the pins upward toward the reset plate 40.

Reset plate 40 is held upward by springs 42 which are connected to platform 32 and which are recessed in the channels 30. Laterally projecting followers 44 on reset plate 40 extend into the channels of guides 30 for guiding the up and down movement of the reset plate as best shown in FIG. 7.

Reset plate 40 has holes 46 through which strings 36 pass and has downward opening recesses 48 which surround the holes as shown in the bottom view of plate 40 which is FIG. 7. The heads of pins 22 are pulled upward into recesses 48 by springs 34 and strings 36 to As shown in FIG. 2, the reset plate 40 is pulled downward by first and second strings 50 which pass through holes 52in the sides of the alley near the verticalguides 30. Strings 50 are joined to actuator 54 which is mounted in brackets 56 beneath alley 4. Pulling outward on actuator 54 pulls strings 50 downward, pulling plate 40 downward and repositioning pins 22 on magnets 20.

As shown in FIG. 8, a ball releasing ramp 60 having a slope 62 formed with a groove 64 may be positioned on the proximal edge of the alley for rolling a ball down the alley with a predetermined force. Ramp 60 may be used with the block 12 as shown in FIG. 1 by inserting lug 66 in hole 14. In an alternate form of release mechanism as shown in FIG. 9 a toy figure 70 may be positioned at the proximal end of the alley. The figure 70 has a spring-loaded cockable arm 72 with a ballholding recess. The figure is placed on the proximal end of the alley, and a trigger is pressed to release spring loaded arm 72.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 10 a concave ball receiver is mounted at a distal end of the alley 4. Receiver 80 has a dished upper suface 82 and a central opening 84 which drops a ball through guide 86 to distal and upper end 88 of sloped ramp 90. A ball rolls down the ramp to its proximal lower end 92 which projects outward beneath the proximal end 6 of ramp 4. Grooves 94 and 96 are constructed of varied depth in frame members 2 to ensure the downward sloping of ramp 90.

Although the present invention has been described in part with reference to a specific embodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications of the invention may be made. Such modifications may fall within the scope of the invention as precisely defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. Bowling game apparatus comprising a frame, a flat rectangular alley supported on the frame, the alley having a proximal ball-releasing end, a pin-receiving area near a distal end, a plurality of upstanding guides connected to the frame near the pin-receiving area of the alley, a platform connected to upper extremities of the guides, a reset plate mounted between the alley and the platform and mounted between the guides for vertical movement, followers mounted on the reset plate and extending laterally therefrom adjacent the guides for engaging the guides, whereby movement of the reset plate between the alley and platform is controlled by the guides and followers, bowling pins positioned on the pin-receiving area of the alley, and spring means connected to upper ends of the bowling pins and extending through holes in the reset plate and connected to the platform for drawing the pins upward toward openings in the reset plate, ten magnets arranged in spaced triangular planform in the pin-receiving area with alternate magnets having opposite polarity at an upper surface of the pinreceiving area, and wherein the bowling pins comprise ten pins arranged in complementary triangular form with second magnets in the pins having alternated polarity opposite the polarity of corresponding first magnets in the pin-receiving area, for holding the pins downward against spring pressure on the pin-receiving area of the alley, whereby knocking a pin toward an alternate magnet results in repulsion of the pin by the alternate magnet, whereby when the pins and second magnets are forced away from the first magnets the pins are drawn upward toward the reset plate by the spring means, and whereby the pins are reset on the pin-receiving area by moving the reset plate downward until the pins touch the area and then moving the reset plate upward, leaving the pins held by magnets on the area.

2. The bowling game apparatus of claim 1 wherein the guides comprise inward facing channel members and wherein the followers are mounted outward on said reset plate within channels formed by the channel members.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein one channel member is employed on each side of the alley.

4. The bowling game apparatus of claim 1 wherein the guides are connected to opposite sides of the alley and the alley is connected to the frame, thereby completing connection of the guides to the frame.

5. The bowling game apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a horizontally oriented concave ball retriever positioned at the distal end of the alley and having a central opening, and a ball return chute extending longitudinally below the alley and having a distal upper end positioned beneath the opening in the concave receiver and having a proximal lower end extending from beneath the proximal end of the alley, whereby a ball in the receiver drops through the central opening and on to the distal end of the chute and rolls to the proximal end of the chute and wherein the frame further comprises means for supporting the chute in sloped position.

6. The bowling game apparatus of claim 1 further comprising first and second strings connected to the reset plate adjacent the followers and extending down along guides on opposite sides of the alley and extending through openings in the alley, and a flexible control means connected to the first and second strings and extending beneath the alley forward to a position near a proximal end of the alley whereby pulling forward on the flexible control means pulls the reset plate downward toward the pin-receiving area on the alley, and further comprising resilient means for urging the reset plate upward away from the alley toward the platform.

7. Bowling game apparatus comprising a frame, a flat rectangular alley supported on the frame, the alley having a proximal ball-releasing end, a pin-receiving area near a distal end, a plurality of upstanding guides connected to the frame near the pin-receiving area of the alley, a platform connected to the guides, a reset plate mounted between the guides, the reset plate having ten apertures arranged in triangular form, means mounted on the reset plate and extending laterally therefrom adjacent the guides for engaging the guides, bowling pins positioned on the pin-receiving area of the alley and a plurality of strings having first ends connected to upper ends of the bowling pins and extending upward through apertures in the reset plate and connected to the platform for drawing the pins upward toward openings in the reset plate, first magnetic means in the pinreceiving area and second complementary magnetic means in the pins for holding the pins downward against spring pressure on the pin-receiving area of the alley, and a like plurality of springs connected to second ends of the strings, whereby when pins and complementary magnetic means are forced away from the first magnetic means the individual pins are drawn up ward toward the reset plate by the individual strings and springs, whereby the pins are reset on the pinreceiving area by moving the reset plate downward toward the alley until the pins touch the area and then moving the reset plate upward, wherein the first magnetic means comprises ten magnets arranged in spaced triangular planform with alternating magnets having opposite polarity at an upper surface of the pinreceiving area, wherein the bowling pins comprise ten pins arranged in complementary triangular planform, and wherein the second complementary magnetic means comprise a second ten magnets in the pins, the second magnets having alternated polarity opposite the polarity of the corresponding first magnets in the pinreceiving area, whereby knocking a pin toward an alternate magnet results in a repulsion of the pin by the alternate magnet.

8. The bowling game apparatus of claim 7 wherein the guides comprise inward facing channel members and wherein the channel members are connected to opposite sides of the alley and the alley is connected to the frame, thereby completing connection of the guides to the frame.

9. The bowling game apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a horizontally oriented concave ball retriever positioned at the distal end of the alley and having a central opening, and a ball return chute extending longitudinally below the alley and having a distal upper end positioned beheath the opening in the concave receiver and having a proximal lower end extending from beneath the proximal end of the alley, whereby a ball in the receiver drops through the central opening and on to the distal end of the chute and rolls to the proximal end of the chute and wherein the frame further comprises means for supporting the chute in sloped position.

10. The bowling game apparatus of claim 7 fu ther comprising control string means connected to the reset plate and extending downward parallel to the guides and extending through openings adjacent the alley, and further extending beneath the alley forward to a position near a proximal end of the alley whereby pulling on the flexible control means pulls the reset plate downward toward the pin-receiving area on the alley, and further comprising resilient means for urging the reset plate upward away from the alley toward the plat- 

1. Bowling game apparatus comprising a frame, a flat rectangular alley supported on the frame, the alley having a proximal ball-releasing end, a pin-receiving area near a distal end, a plurality of upstanding guides connected to the frame near the pin-receiving area of the alley, a platform connected to upper extremities of the guides, a reset plate mounted between the alley and the platform and mounted between the guides for vertical movement, followers mounted on the reset plate and extending laterally therefrom adjacent the guides for engaging the guides, whereby movement of the reset plate between the alley and platform is controlled by the guides and followers, bowling pins positioned on the pin-receiving area of the alley, and spring means connected to upper ends of the bowling pins and extending through holes in the reset plate and connected to the platform for drawing the pins upward toward openings in the reset plate, ten magnets arranged in spaced triangular planform in the pin-receiving area with alternate magnets having opposite polarity at an upper surface of the pin-receiving area, and wherein the bowling pins comprise ten pins arranged in complementary triangular form with second magnets in the pins having alternated polarity opposite the polarity of corresponding first magnets in the pin-receiving area, for holding the pins downward against spring pressure on the pin-receiving area of the alley, whereby knocking a pin toward an alternate magnet results in repulsion of the pin by the alternate magnet, whereby when the pins and second magnets are forced away from the first magnets the pins are drawn upward toward the reset plate by the spring means, and whereby the pins are reset on the pin-receiving area by moving the reset plate downward until the pins touch the area and then moving the reset plate upward, leaving the pins held by magnets on the area.
 1. Bowling game apparatus comprising a frame, a flat rectangular alley supported on the frame, the alley having a proximal ballreleasing end, a pin-receiving area near a distal end, a plurality of upstanding guides connected to the frame near the pin-receiving area of the alley, a platform connected to upper extremities of the guides, a reset plate mounted between the alley and the platform and mounted between the guides for vertical movement, followers mounted on the reset plate and extending laterally therefrom adjacent the guides for engaging the guides, whereby movement of the reset plate between the alley and platform is controlled by the guides and followers, bowling pins positioned on the pin-receiving area of the alley, and spring means connected to upper ends of the bowling pins and extending through holes in the reset plate and connected to the platform for drawing the pins upward toward openings in the reset plate, ten magnets arranged in spaced triangular planform in the pin-receiving area with alternate magnets having opposite polarity at an upper surface of the pin-receiving area, and wherein the bowling pins comprise ten pins arranged in complementary triangular form with second magnets in the pins having alternated polarity opposite the polarity of corresponding first magnets in the pin-receiving area, for holding the pins downward against spring pressure on the pin-receiving area of the alley, whereby knocking a pin toward an alternate magnet results in repulsion of the pin by the alternate magnet, whereby when the pins and second magnets are forced away from the first magnets the pins are drawn upward toward the reset plate by the spring means, and whereby the pins are reset on the pin-receiving area by moving the reset plate downward until the pins touch the area and then moving the reset plate upward, leaving the pins held by magnets on the area.
 2. The bowling game apparatus of claim 1 wherein the guides comprise inward facing channel members and wherein the followers are mounted outward on said reset plate within channels formed by the channel members.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein one channel member is employed on each side of the alley.
 4. The bowling game apparatus of claim 1 wherein the guides are connected to opposite sides of the alley and the alley is connected to the frame, thereby completing connection of the guides to the frame.
 5. The bowling game apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a horizontally oriented concave ball retriever positioned at the distal end of the alley and having a central opening, and a ball return chute extending longitudinally below the alley and having a distal upper end positioned Beneath the opening in the concave receiver and having a proximal lower end extending from beneath the proximal end of the alley, whereby a ball in the receiver drops through the central opening and on to the distal end of the chute and rolls to the proximal end of the chute and wherein the frame further comprises means for supporting the chute in sloped position.
 6. The bowling game apparatus of claim 1 further comprising first and second strings connected to the reset plate adjacent the followers and extending down along guides on opposite sides of the alley and extending through openings in the alley, and a flexible control means connected to the first and second strings and extending beneath the alley forward to a position near a proximal end of the alley whereby pulling forward on the flexible control means pulls the reset plate downward toward the pin-receiving area on the alley, and further comprising resilient means for urging the reset plate upward away from the alley toward the platform.
 7. Bowling game apparatus comprising a frame, a flat rectangular alley supported on the frame, the alley having a proximal ball-releasing end, a pin-receiving area near a distal end, a plurality of upstanding guides connected to the frame near the pin-receiving area of the alley, a platform connected to the guides, a reset plate mounted between the guides, the reset plate having ten apertures arranged in triangular form, means mounted on the reset plate and extending laterally therefrom adjacent the guides for engaging the guides, bowling pins positioned on the pin-receiving area of the alley and a plurality of strings having first ends connected to upper ends of the bowling pins and extending upward through apertures in the reset plate and connected to the platform for drawing the pins upward toward openings in the reset plate, first magnetic means in the pin-receiving area and second complementary magnetic means in the pins for holding the pins downward against spring pressure on the pin-receiving area of the alley, and a like plurality of springs connected to second ends of the strings, whereby when pins and complementary magnetic means are forced away from the first magnetic means the individual pins are drawn upward toward the reset plate by the individual strings and springs, whereby the pins are reset on the pin-receiving area by moving the reset plate downward toward the alley until the pins touch the area and then moving the reset plate upward, wherein the first magnetic means comprises ten magnets arranged in spaced triangular planform with alternating magnets having opposite polarity at an upper surface of the pin-receiving area, wherein the bowling pins comprise ten pins arranged in complementary triangular planform, and wherein the second complementary magnetic means comprise a second ten magnets in the pins, the second magnets having alternated polarity opposite the polarity of the corresponding first magnets in the pin-receiving area, whereby knocking a pin toward an alternate magnet results in a repulsion of the pin by the alternate magnet.
 8. The bowling game apparatus of claim 7 wherein the guides comprise inward facing channel members and wherein the channel members are connected to opposite sides of the alley and the alley is connected to the frame, thereby completing connection of the guides to the frame.
 9. The bowling game apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a horizontally oriented concave ball retriever positioned at the distal end of the alley and having a central opening, and a ball return chute extending longitudinally below the alley and having a distal upper end positioned beheath the opening in the concave receiver and having a proximal lower end extending from beneath the proximal end of the alley, whereby a ball in the receiver drops through the central opening and on to the distal end of the chute and rolls to the proximal end of the chute and wherein the frame further comprises means for supporting the chute in sloped positioN. 